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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Parallels

Spaniard's Song Brings YouTube Fame ... And Maybe A Job

Enzo Vizcaíno, a 24-year-old unemployed Spaniard, isn't singing for his supper. He just wants a job.

May 18, 2013 Enzo Vizcaíno looks like a busker, strumming away on his ukulele as he roams a Barcelona metro car. But he sings of his bachelor's degree and postgrad diploma. "I'm the King of Microsoft," he croons. He's not looking for a handout. He just wants a job. And his creative approach may be paying off.

Summary

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Two-Way

In Depressed Spain, ATMs That Dispense Free Cash

A Spanish man bought two theater tickets and gave them to an elderly couple after he received free cash from an ATM set up by Coca-Cola.

February 28, 2013 For Coca-Cola, it was both a PR move and a social experiment. The company set up an ATM that gave out 100 euros ($131) and asked only that recipients share the money. A video of the campaign has gone viral.

Summary

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Two-Way

Flash Mob Brings Some Sunshine Into Spanish Unemployment Office

A woman sings "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles in an unemployment office in Spain as part of a flash mob organized to cheer up those waiting in the office to find work.

January 14, 2013 A performance of "Here Comes the Sun" brought smiles to a group of jobless Spaniards gathered to request government benefits.

Summary

Monday, December 31, 2012

The Salt

Green Grapes And Red Underwear: A Spanish New Year's Eve

Ringing in the New Year in Spain requires eating a dozen grapes and wearing a very specific kind of undergarment.

December 31, 2012 As a clock tower rings out 12 chimes, people all over the country will scoff a dozen grapes, hoping for good luck. With several seeds per grape and only a couple of seconds to swallow each one, the task is harder than it sounds. And then there's the bit about wearing a gift of red undergarments.

Summary

Monday, November 26, 2012

All Tech Considered

Spain Expands Renewables With Wave-Powered Electricity Plant

Residents of Mutriku, a fishing village on Spain's northern coast, lounge at their local beach, protected from fierce Atlantic waves by a cement breakwater that also houses Europe's first wave energy plant.

November 26, 2012 The Bay of Biscay, off Spain's northern coast, is notorious for its huge surf, which has claimed countless lives in shipwrecks over the centuries. Now Spanish engineers have found a way to harness the power of those big waves to produce electricity.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Monday, November 12, 2012

The Salt

To Get Around Tax Hike, Spanish Theater Sells Carrots, Not Tickets

At the Bescanó municipal theater in northeastern Spain, director Quim Marcé (center) and actresses Meritxell Yanes (left) and Elena Martinell (right) display carrots for sale.

November 12, 2012 Anybody want a carrot? In Spain, carrots are being sold in place of theater tickets as a way to avoid a 21 percent tax on the tickets. Many Spaniards say the "Carrot Rebellion" is a creative response to the country's unpopular austerity measures, but some simply call it tax evasion.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Two-Way

Spaniards, Who Usually Aid Others, Being Asked To Help Their Own

In June, people in Madrid came to a distribution center where those in need could get food.

October 10, 2012 For the first time, the Red Cross in Spain is looking to raise money so that it can get food to those who are suffering most because of the country's financial crisis. For decades, the organization has focused on helping starving people elsewhere.

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